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Exploring UFOs and Extraterrestrial LifeThu, 17 Aug 2017 22:30:16 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.1UFOs along India’s border remain a mysteryhttp://www.openminds.tv/ufos-along-indias-border-remain-a-mystery-1089/22976
http://www.openminds.tv/ufos-along-indias-border-remain-a-mystery-1089/22976#commentsWed, 24 Jul 2013 17:43:23 +0000http://www.openminds.tv/?p=22976Members of the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) reported in November 2012 that they had witnessed more than one-hundred UFOs along India’s Himalayan border with China during a two-and-a-half-month period. These unidentified aerial objects were investigated by several agencies including the Indian Astronomical Observatory, the Indian army, the National Technical Research Organisation, and the Defence Research Development Organisation. But no identification was made.

Indian Astronomical Observatory. (Credit: Alin Dev)

Shortly after news about this UFO wave broke, India’s Zee News reported that scientists and experts suspected the UFOs were simply sky lanterns launched by the Chinese army as part of a “psychological operation.” Zee News supported this claim by stating that scientists from the Indian Astronomical Observatory studying the UFOs determined that the luminous objects were only visible for twelve to eighteen minutes. But this statement contradicts the original witness testimony that claimed these “yellowish spheres” slowly traversed the sky for “three to five hours before disappearing.” Regardless, after Zee News reported that experts believed the UFOs were sky lanterns, other media outlets accepted this identification and considered the case closed.

Object photographed by the ITBP. (Credit: ITBP/India Times)

But on Monday, July 22, the Telegraph published an article asserting the UFOs still have experts baffled. The article reconfirms the original description that the UFOs “rise and hover along the horizon for around three hours before fading from sight.” According to the Telegraph, Dr. P. Sreekumar, the new director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bangalore, recently confirmed that the institute is still investigating the UFOs along the border. He stated, “We’re still looking at these issues. We have a facility [to investigate issues like these] and it is important that we look at it. As an institute we can’t say what it is right now. It’s very fresh.”

According to KTRK ABC13 in Houston, the witness described the UFOs as “red fire balls in the sky” to a Sheriff’s Department dispatcher. Deputies responded and observed the UFOs themselves. They report seeing four orange lights in the sky at approximately 3,000 feet in altitude, traveling slowly in a “loose line” spanning approximately ten miles. The deputies say that, after observing the lights for a few seconds, “three of the objects disappeared and shortly thereafter, a fourth one disappeared.” But after these four lights disappeared, eight to ten other fireball UFOs appeared in approximately the same location in the sky, and traveled in the same direction as the previous objects.

Deputies say that at least ten to twelve other witnesses saw the fireball UFOs.

sky lanterns in flight. (Credit: Jason McClellan)

The Sheriff’s Office contacted both the FAA and National Weather Bureau, but neither were able to provide any clues to help identify the strange aerial lights. But according to KSAT, the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) provided deputies with a possible explanation for the lights. NUFORC explained that “similar sightings in Florida had been reported last week and could possibly be what is described as ‘sky lanterns’ that are released during various celebrations.” Deputies seem to doubt this explanation, because they reportedly stated that sky lanterns are not usually released in large numbers. Although this might not “usually” be the case, sky lanterns (or Chinese lanterns as they are also known) are occasionally released in large numbers when launched during a celebration, as mentioned by NUFORC. These paper lanterns function like mini hot air balloons, drifting slowly through the sky for a brief period of time. The lantern appears to disappear when the fuel cell heating the air inside the balloon expires.

The deputies were able to ascertain that the wind direction at 3,000 feet on March 23 would have caused a “balloon-type object” to drift in a southwest direction. The fireball UFOs observed that night were traveling in a southwest direction.

The fireball UFOs observed over Daisetta, TX do fit the description and behavior of sky lanterns. But an official identification has not been made.

UPDATE:
According to ABC13, a resident of nearby Raywood, TX came forward claiming responsibility for the fireball UFOs. This individual says the mysterious lights were from approximately fifty to seventy-five sky lanterns released at a wedding reception.

]]>http://www.openminds.tv/sheriffs-dept-investigating-fireball-ufos-near-houston-943/19257/feed0Light formation over San Francisco captured on videohttp://www.openminds.tv/light-formation-over-san-francisco-captured-on-video-888/17968
http://www.openminds.tv/light-formation-over-san-francisco-captured-on-video-888/17968#commentsTue, 11 Dec 2012 16:56:57 +0000http://www.openminds.tv/?p=17968Video was recorded in the early morning of Sunday, December 9 showing a series of glowing lights over San Francisco, California.

Witness Enrique Barrios recorded the series of seven lights with his cellphone camera. He described to CBS 5 that these “fireballs in the sky” looked like “flying candles” at first, but then started making formations. Another witness who photographed the UFOs described that each of the individual lights “kind of looked like a fiery, floaty thing.”

CBS 5 asked Bing Quock, assistant director of the Morrison Planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences, to comment on the strange aerial lights. He said, “It’s not a planet, it’s not a constellation, it’s not meteors, it’s not the moon.” He went on to suggest the illuminated objects were simply lights attached to balloons. Judging by the appearance and behavior of the lights in Barrios’ video, paired with witness description of “fireballs,” “flying candles,” and “fiery, floaty thing,” Quock’s supposition is a good one. These aerial objects were most likely paper sky lanterns, also referred to as Chinese lanterns.